European Parliament Decide to Ban Meat-Related Names for Plant-Based Products
During a significant vote on Wednesday, MEPs decided by a margin of 355-247 to restrict food names such as "burger" and "sausage" exclusively for animal-derived foods.
The Vote Means
Should the measure becomes law, popular vegetarian products like plant-based burgers, tofu steak, and vegetable schnitzel could have to change their names throughout EU markets.
Nevertheless, before the ban to take effect, it needs to gain approval from most of the 27 EU countries, something that is uncertain.
Key Debate Behind the Measure
Supporters contend that consumers require transparent information and that traditional names must exclusively describe items from animals.
"An escalope and sausages are goods from animal farming: not laboratory art or vegetable sources," stated France's lawmaker the proposal's author.
Critics, including environmental lawmakers, called the move pointless regulation.
"Plant-based burgers, wheat schnitzel and tofu sausage don't mislead consumers, only rightwing politicians," declared Austrian Green MEP Thomas Waitz.
Past Efforts and Legal Background
This isn't the first effort to control such terminology. EU lawmakers voted down a comparable ban in 2020.
The French government previously enacted a national ban on meat terms for vegetarian products in recent years, but EU courts ruled it illegal under EU law in 2024.
Business and Consumer Response
Leading German retailers such as Aldi and Lidl object to the proposal, cautioning that changing established names would mislead shoppers.
Advocacy organizations point to research indicating that the majority of shoppers understand product labels when products are clearly identified as vegetarian.
"Almost seventy percent of consumers understand the terminology as long as products are explicitly marked plant-based," noted Irina Popescu, a consumer officer at BEUC.
What Comes Next
The legislative measure next requires review by EU member states, where it needs to secure broad support to be enacted.
Given the divided opinions within both politicians and the general population, the future of this initiative is still uncertain.